Cylinder head for internal combustion engines



Sept. 6, 1938. c. A. GANTS ET AL CYLINDER HEAD FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed Feb. 18, 1938 w a M m m 4 mm n 7 2 2 5 O Wm; 5

Patented Sept. 6, 1938 UNITED STATES CYLINDER HEAD F R INTERNAL COMBUS- TION ENGINES Chester Arthur Gants and Daniel Arthur Gants, Abilene, Kans.

Application February 18, 1938, Serial No. 191,322

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a cylinder head unit for internal combustion engines and more particularly to a cylinder head in which the usual sparking plugs are dispensed with.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a cylinder head in which the spaced sparking electrodes for igniting the combustion mixture in the cylinder are formed as an integral part of the cylinder head to thus eliminate inherent disadvantages of the conventional sparking plug.

A further object of the invention is'to incorporate the high tension spark gap interiorly of the combustion chamber so that the electrodes may be of much sturdier construction than is customary and to provide integral conduits in the cylinder head within which the electrical conductors to the spark gaps are contained to obtain a clean en gine top without the usual array of ignition wires.

A still further object of the invention is to so position the spark gaps that they are readily accessible for replacement and adjustment.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a horizontal cross sectional view of a cylinder head unit taken on line 22 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross section of the cylinder head, showing the position of the electrodes and conductor conduit and the position of the cylinder head on the engine block;

Fig. 3 is a partial top plan of the cylinder head unit, showing the detachable combustion chamber closure plates.

More specifically in the drawing, numeral I denotes a cylinder head unit, which, while illustrated as a four cylinder engine head, may include any number of cylinders desirable. The general arrangement of the cylinder head is conventional, in that it is of unit construction and contains the customary cooling fluid passages 3 along the sides of the head and around the combustion chambers 4. The cylinder head unit is adapted to be bolted directly to an engine cylinder block 5, and the entire unit may be readily substituted for heads now in use.

As seen from the drawing, integral internally screw threaded bosses or projections 6 are cast or otherwise formed in each chamber 4 when the head is constructed and these bosses 6 extend transversely from the wall of the combustion chamber into the mid-section thereof. In the op- 50 posite side of the head unit a longitudinal tube 1 runs the full length of the cylinder block and connects with a plurality of transverse passages 8 communicating with the cylinder chambers 4. The outlet passages 8 are positioned directly opposite the bosses 6, and the outer openings of the passages are adapted to retain therein insulating tubes or sleeves 9. The insulating material forming the tubes or sleeves 9 may be of any desired material, such as heat resisting glass, quartz, porcelain or the like.

Adjustable screw threaded electrodes it, having lock nuts II threaded thereon, are positioned in each of the bosses 6 with their outer ends terminating in approximately the center of the circumference of the combustion chambers 4. The 10 electrodes I2 are retained in each of the insulating tubes 9 with the ends of the electrodes terminating a Slight distance from the electrodes It to form a suitable spark gap therebetween. The electrodes 10 are screw threaded directly into the bosses 6 and form a part of the cylinder head and engine construction and are grounded thereto, While the=electrodes l2 are insulated from the head or engine by means of the tube 9. The electrodes may be fabricated from any well known heat resistant alloys which possess the necessary conductivity and stamina for such use.

A series ofinsulated high tension wires I3 are connected to the outer ends of each of the electrodes l2, and, as seen in Fig. 1, this series of electrical conductors are carried through the longitudinal tube 1, which communicates with the passageways 8. A suitable disc I4 is preferably fitted into the outer end of the tube 1 so that the tube is completely sealed ofi from dirt, water and the like. The series of conductors I3 are run from the disc into a unitary cable l5 and thence to the distributor or other electrical makeand brake device with which the engine is provided.

While the combustion chambers 4 may be formed with integral top portions, it has been found desirable to close off the tops of each of the individual combustion chambers 4 by means of bolted and gasketed plate l6, having a screw threaded plug l'l therein for testing the compres- 40 sion of the individual cylinder. When replacement or adjustment of the electrodes is necessary, it is a comparatively simple matter to remove the bolts holding the plates Hi to give full access to the interior of the cylinder.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that this invention provides a simple and rugged sparking arrangement for internal combustion engines wherein the electrodes per se may be of much heavier construction than is possible with the customary sparking plugs and furthermore, that by reason of their horizontal position within the combustion chambers the sparking takes place in approximately the center thereof which insures rapid propagation of the combustion flame. This also lessens carbonizing of the points and prevents oil condensation.

The invention also permits a much cleaner external appearance of the engine and insures that the high tension wires are completely inclosed to thus prevent deterioration, exposure to accident, and complete absence of absorption of moisture.

Because of the considerably increased size of the electrodes over customary plugs, they remain efi'icient over long periods of operation, and when adjustment or replacement is necessary, the electrodes are readily accessible. 7

While our invention has been shown in connection with a fluid cooled engine, it is to be understood that this is for the purpose of illustration only and that the invention is equally applicable to engines that have solid heads and those which are air-cooled.

What we claim is:

1. In an internal combustion engine, a removable cylinder head therefor, said head having longitudinal water circulating passages therein, transverse bosses integrally secured to the wall of one of said passages and extending into the top of the cylinder chambers, electrodes secured in said bosses, spaced electrodes secured to the opposite circulating wall, said electrodes being insulated therefrom, a conduit formed integrally with said wall lying at a right angle to said insulated electrodes and electrical conductors secured to each of said insulated electrodesv positioned in said conduit, and extending beyond to the end of said head.

2. An internal combustion engine including a removable cylinder head, a plurality of chaminsulated electrical conduits leading from the insulated electrodes through the longitudinal passage to outside the head.

3. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder head therefor, said head comprising a unit having vertical passages extending therethrough,

' cooling medium conduits extending around the passages and sides of the said head, a longitudinal tube formed in one side of said head and lying within one of said cooling medium conduits, a plurality of spaced apart ofiset passages communicating with said tube and extending into the vertical passages, electrodes mounted in insulators secured in each of said offset passages, electrical conductors connected to each electrode, the conduits extending into and through the offset passages and longitudinal tube and complementary electrodes secured in spaced relation to the insulated electrodes, said complementary electrodes being secured to and electrically grounded to the opposite walls of the vertical chambers.

CHESTER ARTHUR GANTS. DANIEL ARTHUR GANTS. 

